CANCER SUPPORT THREAD 66 for those with cancer or awaiting cancer test results. Rant, rave, laugh, cry, joke, scream - whatever gets you through the day.

[TwitterQueen1]

Welcome to the new thread, and the club that nobody wants to join. Our previous thread is here

Anyone with any type of cancer is welcome. And we will hold your hand if you're waiting to find out whether or not you have cancer at all.

If you have a loved one with cancer you can get support on a different thread here

For old and new posters it's very helpful if you (re)introduce yourself in your first post with a summary of your diagnosis (chemo brain is a real thing and my memory isn't what it used to be!).

Yes! I should have mentioned the new and upexpected friends tho - that is the bright side of all this...

I'm also amazed at people's ignorance. My DSIS, who knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING, who I speak to on a weekly basis and is only 16 months younger than me, said this week "Ah yes, you're going to have chemo for that tumour on your spleen aren't you..." Er no, remember those emails I sent mentioning 'advanced cancer', 'spread to lung lining, liver, stomach lining.....' I didn't say that but now I think I should have done. Our very lovely stepfather died of lung cancer and she took him to hospital on numerous occasions yet she seems to be maintaining the fingers-in-ears-singing-loudly approach when anyone mentions the word 'cancer'. She hears what she wants to hear and thinks what she wants to - listening is not her strength.

TQ amazing how much people can ignore if they really want to.

Definitely understand the friend thing. Some people have just not been anything like as supportive (or present even) as I expected. But lovely, lovely new friends.

Another friend pretty much told me I was too fat to have cancer

Wait is that a cure. I’m well on my way anyway so I’ll crack open a pavlova!

Hi everyone, I didn’t stay in as all the tests were ok. They sent me home with some massive oral antibiotics and told me come back today. I crashed out as soon as I got back. Went to ‘Ambulatory Care’ today where they reran the bloods. Bit of excitement as they brought a prisoner in handcuffs in with a couple of wardens. Bloods were good again, not neutropenic phew!

I’ve noticed the friend thing too. Some of the people who I thought may have been in contact have been deafeningly silent yet some people have really surprised me. My DM has been weird but she’s a bit selfish, yet my Dsis has been brilliant, we sometimes have a difficult relationship as my mother manipulates the situation. I could write a book on that though!

Oh if only getting fat was a cure - I’m so with you with the pavlova namechange

Totally understand with the friends thing. Do you find people say strange things too? I had two people say to me forlornly “but your children need you”. Umm yes, I didn’t actually choose this you know . Also my doctors are fairly optimistic at this stage but I find people just hear the word cancer and think immediate death sentence.

Can I have some pavlova too?! . I've not lost any friends over it but yes Simmi Cancer certainly does seem to give people foot in mouth syndrome. My boss (yes the same one that congratulated me for not being dead in annual performance review ) told me this week his friend cured himself with carrot juice and coffee enemas .
Ranout you must be mad! I'm also a beaver leader and 20 is about the most I can cope with, even without frozen on a loop!
Leslie glad tablets going ok. Fingers crossed for you.
Half way through colonoscopy prep. Not too bad compared with capox dire rear but I am bloody starving now. Taking comfort in fact I get lots of drugs for actual proceedure.

Sorry meant name change re rainbows. Doh! I'm blaming lack of food!

Hello, I'm new here. I was diagnosed with breast cancer last October. No lymph node involvement. Had lumpectomy and radiotherapy and I'm on Tamoxifen. Have been trying to move on with my life, as you do, eating well and generally trying to look after myself. Last Tuesday I found what feels like an enlarged lymph node (which is very obvious) on the top of my collarbone (supraclavicular). Having googled this I'm now terrified as most articles say any enlargement in this area is highly suggestive of malignancy and this is where breast cancer can metastasise to and appears to have a bleak prognosis 😱 The area around it seems quite achey. Just reaching out to people who will understand how I'm feeling! I have clinic appointment in the morning but have been tossing and turning preparing for imminent death 🙈 Xx

Tayto ahh Leslie was a beaver leader too. Lots of us crazy people on here.

Massively sympathy for the colonoscopy prep. I found that SO much worse than the procedure. And somehow (despite pooing everything in my body out) lost no weight

HannsG welcome, but so sorry you’re so stressed. I definitely know how you feel BUT I have a terrible track record when it comes to diagnosing myself. So please don’t think that because you’ve read something online and felt something that it’s definitely what it is. What time is clinic?

Thanks Namechange 💕 it's 10 tomorrow morning, so that's good Xx

Squeezing your hand while you wait for your appointment HannsG

Tayto good luck

Symphony glad you're not neutropenic :)

Sorry to read of so many useless friends/relatives. I've made lots of lovely new friends too :)

I had a rough start to the night as managed to convince myself I was actually dying that very minute thankfully my mum sat with me and calmed me down, and then I took a sleeping tablet, so I slept well the rest of the night.

I’m nearly five years on but my cancer can come back any time. There’s a 30% chance. I have to have blood tests end of December and the waiting is horrible.

In the meantime a close family member died earlier this year from very aggressive breast cancer and another family member has incurable lymphoma. It’s all getting to me and I feel anxious and depressed.

Hello HannsG and Yvb FUD - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt - it means you can never truly relax. I try to live in the moment as much as I can and focus on the little things that give me pleasure on my daily walk. I need to go on a mindfulness workshop I think.

Leslie Night tremors are the worst. So glad you have your mum and dad on hand.

Tayto - coffee and carrot juice - riiiiight. I was told broccoli will cure my cancer.

I'm going to the Churchill this pm to go through the trial paperwork. Happy Tuesday everyone.

Good luck with your paperwork TQ

Ah yes, the unasked for and unwanted dietary advice

Chemo prep today for me, started steroids (so little sleep for the next few nights) and off to hospital to have bloods done.

Xx

Ah yes, unsolicited dietary advice!

The drug I’m on has only a few no-no’s (foods that fuel the production of the enzyme which needs to be suppressed) but there are loads of interactions which haven’t been studied. And it’s the things which are likely to be active which need to be avoided (because they might either potentiate or reduce the effect of the main drug),

So yes, I can eat pretty normally, but no I can’t try supplements. So no, I’m not going to try turmeric supplements, no matter how often DFriend mentions them. Yes I know there are interesting/good results for other cancers, which bit of ‘mucking up the effect of this drug could sharply reduce my life expectancy’ do people struggle with?

I’m off to discuss my cyst and my bowels today. Should be nice and embarrassing!

(Recap - deranged poo was my presenting symptom, and GP was referring to colorectal team on 2 week rule when the blood went ‘bing bong’, The deranged poo never totally settled (faeces testing and scan were clear) so I’m expecting to discuss if it’s side effect (can be) or if there’s anything else going on in parallel

Sorry - don’t know why that posted twice. My poo is not that fascinating so I’ll see if MHHQ will zap one

Sorry to hear all that iVampire but the expression deranged poo has made my morning!

Good luck with your appointment iVampire

I am Wiped. For the first time since this shit started am absolutely floored and can’t even get out my bed 

But am reading & trying to keep up and thinking of you all.

Welcome @HannsG but sorry you're here.

Good luck @iVampire and glad you're home @SymphonyofShadows

(digestives) & to us all

Keep Calm

Sorry to hear you are feeling wiped. I honestly don’t know how you have done it so far with all your long work days. Hope you get at least a few days rest now as you probably need it